DICTIONARY OF LITERARY BIOGRAPHY , I -' --- l,.,.-// -- CYFRI.AN O• D. EKWENSI (26 SEFTEMBER 1921 - ) by Ernest N. Emenyonu University of Calabar Cala ba.r, N/;G,~. 1 NAME: CYPRIAN· ODIATU DUAKA EKWENSI / . .' BIRTH: Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, ~ 26 September/ 192\ to David Anadumaka and Agnes Uso Ekwensi. EDUCATION: Government College, Ibadan; Achimota College, Gold Coast (now Ghana); School of Forestry, Ibadan; Higher College, Yaba; Chelsea School of Pharmacy, London University. MARRIAGE: Married with many children. CAREER DETAILS: Lecturer in Biology, Chemistry, English at Igbobi College, Lagos, Nigeria (1947-49); Lecturer in . .---../) . • . f Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy, Yaba, l1949-51); 2 Pharmacist, Nigerian Medical Service t1956-57); Head of Features, Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, (1957-61); Director of Information Services, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1961-66); Director of Information Services, Eastern Nigerian Information Sevices (1966-67); Chairman, Bureau for External Publicity for "Biafra" (1967-69); Controller-General Broad- casting Corporation of "Biafra" (1969-70); Chairman, East Central State Library Board (1971-75); Visiting Artist in Residence, International Writing Programi/: University of Iowa, '-../ Director, Star Printing and Publishing 3 Company, Enugu (1975-1979); Consultant, Ivory Trumpet Publishing Company Ltd., (Niger Eagle Press Ltd.J, (1980-83); Information Consultant, Federal Ministry of Information, Lagos, {1984-85); Commissioner for Information, Anambra State, Nigeria (Oct. 1983-Dec. 1983); Member, Board of The Federal Radio- Corporation of Nigeria (1984-86); Chairman, Anambra State Hospitals Management Board, t1987- present). AWARDS: Dag Hammarksjoeld International Award for Literary Merit (1968) . ,<''.,.. _, .., .-Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Sca_ndinavia, United· States of America. 4 /'. / .,... ~ . _,./] . ___..- · I PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS / ANB,,.-MENBSRSHIPS: P.E.N., London; Society for .. · / / _/ ,. ~/-· Nigerian Writer; Member of -· the Pharmac utical Society of Britain; Member of the Nigerian Arts Council; ~ember, British ~nstitute of Public Relatioris; Member of the World Organisation of the Diplomatic Press; Member, ._,,,. Association of Nigerian Authors. \ .,~" .PUBLICAIION:3::- ~- MAJOR NOVELS: P~ople of the City (London: Andrew Dakers, 1954; E,.dt.H:a.+,·a.,,.,v( Book !. London: Heinemann~ f}-rf,,!c~ LJv it'e.v-s .S-e. r"1.e.s_, sj, 1'(63 i Evanston. Norffiwestern un-i~~--- Press;· 1"§"67;---~., e-Y: Greenwich; Cem1ec Lieut, Fawcett, 1969). 5 Jagua Nana lLondon: Hutchinson, 1961; London: Panther Books, 1963 ; er: Greenwich; Ceniie· 1 lGJ.t±, Fawcett, 19b9; . f"- ' t. , r r 1,_ . \ • ..:... p ,r C::-r,p< tit.If-- :: ,1,_~,c,, .... -;;:, t- , · . ..,,.~~(" - 1A-r--?<!l-- · # • .,.Jf ,{.:> ..,1 €1t .. J; l W;'"'.) .... ..... - - • - ..., • .# - { _... ~ / - c ,. London: H~in~mannl 1 1975) • . /_..,--t-,:;~~ .: ~> ·.- •'. -: g C Q ~ :, [;;_::: ' ·• L--., ~,.; ,· ~ -:,' ; : e ,.' .: :: . .:,,_) / Burning Grass , (London: Heine~~~;;i,2J- ; . --- ·-- -____ , Beautiful Feathers lLondon: Hutchinson, 1963; s~~ ,.., ~;'; . ~~--:-·,~---:' . , ~-~ .. London: Heinemann,.- 1~1-GJ. l q7 /\ I :J/!' • lLondon: Hutchinson, 19bb; London: Panther Books, 19b8J. Divided we stand llmugu; NigeZ&: Fourth Dimension, 1980). ~ - f € d~u ....../ c.t ........ ·' .,' For a Roll of Parchment \Ibadan: Nig ia~ Heinemann~ t\ l~;t''6~·.$)' 19tsbJ. Jagua Nana's Daughter l Ibadan; ~ Spectrum, 1986). b SHU.l{T NOVELS: \ q qt} The Leopard's Claw (London: Longman, ~). When Love Whispers tYaba, Nigeria: Chuks, 1947; i .., . - --·~ Oni tsha, Nigeria: Tabansi, · 1948). -. .., The Passport of Mallam Ilia lLondon and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1960). /\ C,--- Yaba Round ,Kbout Murder lLagos: Nig,~ia: Tortoise 7 '-../ Series Books, 19b2). Motherless Baby tEnugu: Nigae:ra--:..t Fourth Dimension, 19t50J. BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS: The Drummer Boy lbondon and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1960). An .African Night's Entertainment lLagos; ~African Universities Press, 1962 J. 7 c,,,/· Juju Rock {Lagos:~ African Universities Press, - i '., ' ' ' ) ..- • ,, ,, 1 'l ('.l , ~ ~ < • .,, '.\. -·-196. 6) • i ;,.,_ - f. • • . e X,., ·i. / r•°c • •,•-• ,, >.)!'-' <;; J ~ ..., V (· ... ' , l- Trouble in Form Six (London and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1966);., . ' ; . :, {. \.. f'.. '4! ... .J" Longman w 1973): Coal Camp Boy (Lagos: Nige'M:a-~ I'\1 , c-/ Samankwe in the Strange Forest (Lagos; Nige1'.i-a,- Samankwe and the Highway Robbers (London: Evans, 1975)• COLLECTIONS OF SHORT STORIES: 'Ibo T "-(e. s Ikolo the Wrestler and Other :&t::11t ie-e (London: Nelson, 1947) ; The Great Elephant-Bird tT,'laa.ton on Toe:mes, (London: Nelson, 1965)j /I The Rain l':Aflker and Other Stories (Lagos; Ni-g.Z:a..: .African Universities ri ) t,. ('. - , l,~P~.:tjEf.\_:5 ~-2 __~.:&J <;r 1965),r it~· 'f lC.,1_.-1,.~ '"' ~-c L. , '.I".ne Boa Sui tor Lokotown,and Other Stories ; • • r ,ir' i ~ . t,·d "· ~ ·r_ . r: ,,... _4 . • (London: Heinemann, 1966)}' /• Restless City and Christmas Gold . ' ' • ) r ..~ ~ \.,·."'., ,·" r ! 1·5 _,,,.- 1 ' ~ ~ - ·· . .-, . ' . ' ~ -:_ , : r". J ._, t c. l - ,i • • _,; • .. ... 4 '\,. .J ~" ~ " (London: Heinemann~ 1975) /1 1 The Rainbow - Tinted Scarf and Other Stories -~ tLondon: Evans, 197JJ· wo~ rN' PAINT:} z,., I . _, _.··1 Benind/, ·the_rI Convent_./ ,.., 'Wall.,,, ---~ ~ ,- ./ a · os Love Deal/ / ·· I / / /,. I 1 / / Murde at Mil/Two 9 (3oc t( ~S EDITED: Festac Anthology of Nigerian New Writing {Lagos, Nigeria: Cultural Division, Federal Ministry of Information - Nigeria Viagazine special publication, 1977). / SOME ANT'dOLOGIES IN WHICH WORKS HA VE APPEARED: / / Afr~ New Writin {London: I,,titterworth Press, 1947. Darkness into D;ght ,, ( 1957 J. // -- --~ /-------Refl~{ions ,lL_a/as~~ria: African Universities _/ Press, 1962'). I . "' -,.,"' An African Treasurv: articles, -.essays, stories, / ., poems by black Africans (New York: Crown, 1960). 1 noutlook for African Wri terd.! -, \ ; . ···--·---~ --- . ../ G~st African Revie4 ~anuary) 1950): "The Dilemma of the African Writer!!-,--; West African Review~?(.Ju1yi·956): 70 /-iOL/i Q "Problems of Nigerian Wri ters~'t c? c,) Nigeria Magazine, 7tl/~eptember/ 1963): 211-Z-lq/ "Literary Influences on a Young Nigerian~ 7 Times Literary Sunnlemen~(~ 19b4); 47!,-i./ 6) "African Li teraturet!!--, ) Nigeria lfagazine°/ 83) &ecember /1964) : Z '! t/ - '--'f 'f; 13 ··":h,ssessi..'1.g Cyprian Ekwensi as a writer, ~ ~ ', American st.udent once said, "Eis !,ision may be at / ..,/ times confused,"· l;lis scznesm 'y be crowded, and h:i,.s . characters unwiel; ,' j,, Cypriru, __EkwenSf' s writings are / '" ---------·--- the most gener~~:it-aec-essin__le, the most likely to b e / / ~ picked up while/ shopping for·- the'-L~ .;we ekly groceries." / ~ / '-.,, "' ~- .. .:i. , ...... This s1J.1ri's up the t ype OI e-qU4i::..SJ.L.££k±on 1:u.~a em·tn.6 iu bY,- /// . -..... .. "·,. wh{ch a study of Cyprian Erllensi as 2. noveli1:?t evokes. '· a..,_ Cyprian Ekwensi is ,Q,ae-·JJ.~ writer who deserves patient reading and ca reful review. He is frer.ue~tly _gere~y relegated to the background by in%crit:i.csJ spurned by some and ignored by a few. :Many a critic .,.of ~ ::rieacr HtePo.tu1e, Oft"~! fr om .. if;;he Western w<h'.-ltt; C_.? has made his debut by n shooting down" 0., .... /im1 Ekwensi. One went so far as to assert that II whatever Ekwensi' s 11 ' virtues, they do not extend to 1 i terature. It is .ae i CA 1 +e. ?i- fof1..J(,t.v- wr; fer /, K'e ekw~ ,,; f- , / ~~ easy to cri ticize C½,:r,1 ian ~kwen's1, mac,1 nrore-s~ ~ve"·rwt'"•ev~n· r~a°tt"ha-m. yhiatever his f aults . 14 he C.&..n /It () t he ,__,.,.~~~;::=EFl;¥.l~~~.,_~ ( and there are many of them), :&e- 0 t 9::~d ~ d. h'j a. "' ~ ,, serious student of African 1iterature ~::-a i ffe:rd _Lo 1 importe.nt pla.ce in the historical development of the I S ~est African novel in English, and truly the father of "- the modern Nigerian novel in English. No matter how r\1.0 v' a.. (1 ·~ +:s / ' offensive some of his adult novels may be to FQOf)le ___~,i~ ,....,,., a-certain frame Gf m-.ind and m€.i'a1 di~, no !jet(_ r"Vi ! V! 0 parent or teacher who has young children who. :;r0~~ for ~ { 1te(a.f!.(ttZ o. +loid +o ov0'"/,,ok exciting si:.~rieo can ~o~e Cyprian Ekwensi's stories A.. for young readers. No matter how uneven the quality of his novels may b~ Yi geBcrar, Ekwensi remains one o:f Africa's best short story writer~O! tae twentieth sz__, ~--- 'l'he key word to his art as a creative writer is versatility. Born on September 26, 1921, Cyprian Ekwensi has written about one book for every two years he has lived, 15 and about two short stcries for every year of his life so far. He has published novels 2nd short stories; he I\ fl ,.-e!e,.1 1 s1 c l-\ :J-,..• ~,,, has written plays fer the radio and filmscripts forAthe screen. He has written about love, infatuation, infidelity, war, adventure, fantasy, politics, c~ildhood, marriage, death and ritual sacrifice. He has written for adults as well as youngsters. Ee has collected folktales. He has written about life in various Nigeria~ etbnic groups: He ' (ec..o rd ,>'l.v ~etet:ior, :it! a.ii:.8 fi:etiOB Mei ,i c,.ded tlnoag!! t:he 'f_ici ssitud:e~ of 1.tfe in"' new "uro'an ~e!rv:tr~ Perhaps if he had stuck to one genre, if he had focussed on one major theme, if he had concentrated ' N~-~1'.k¾- on one segment of ~ society :for :b:is :;.:i.::4ience , .. /\ 1 a.. !J re.."--+cit Cyprian Ekwensi could he.ve commanded r•mr?ze., [email protected]!r '2,__._. -9-aUow :~1 ;1 (l,..;.::,€- fie hi,__ f- :fellow9'.F-vl · .f-, among literary critics. ~L 1S hOW;": !Ml 16 .._. coverW- many situations, many themes and many types 14-0sr of characters. ~ readers ~ have no knowledge of h ,'~ e.;;.,-fro..()rJ,~~ry ~J,:R-Jj¥jts±14J lit-::rarJ output in the l2st forty 0.....- yes.rs:~ l:ige~ It includes ni..Yle major novels, five short novels, seven children's readers, seven collections Cl PJ:rJbQrS Qf ::­ of short stories, co~L~tlessdshort-r stories~-~=~- in ~~e journals and magazines, and several unpubliahed ~ bo~\<:J<tv\j~ manuscrirts.